Civil Service Year-End Bonus 2025 announced on 24 November 2025: read here for more!
Every December, one announcement reliably gets Singapore talking — the Civil Service Year-End Bonus. It’s not just about civil servants; it’s about what the numbers signal for everyone else too.
Even private-sector employers watch closely. The civil-service bonus isn’t a rulebook, but it often sets the tone for how generous companies might be with year-end payouts.
So, what can we expect for 2025? Let’s talk through it in plain English — how the system works, what the past few years tell us, and why this year might look a little cautious but still rewarding.
Quick Refresher: How the Bonus Works
Civil servants in Singapore typically receive four components in a year:
- 13th Month Bonus — also called the Non-Pensionable Annual Allowance (NPAA). This one’s guaranteed.
- Mid-Year Bonus (AVC) — depends on economic performance and announced in June.
- Year-End Bonus (AVC) — announced around late November or early December.
- Performance Bonus — based on individual appraisal, given around April.
Sometimes, extra lump-sum payments are added for lower-wage officers in grades MX15, MX16 and OSS (Operation Support Scheme) to help with cost-of-living pressures.
A Walk Down Memory Lane: Civil Service Bonuses 2019 – 2025
Let’s look at each year’s mid-year and year-end payouts together with their extra payments.
This layout makes it easier to see the pattern of how Singapore adjusts the quantum depending on the economy.
2025 (So Far)
Mid-Year Bonus 2025: 0.4 month of salary + one-time payment of S$250 for MX13(I)/MX14 officers and S$400 for MX15/MX16 & OSS.
The government noted modest growth of 3.9 % in Q1 2025, but kept the overall GDP forecast at 0–2 %.
Year-End Bonus 2025: TBA (as of November 2025).
Given the outlook, most analysts expect roughly 0.8 month — possibly 1.0 month if the economy improves in Q4.
2024
Mid-Year Bonus 2024: 0.45 month + extra S$150 for MX13(I)/MX14 grades and S$250 for MX15/MX16 & OSS officers.
Year-End Bonus 2024: 1.05 months + extra S$600 for junior officers (MX15/MX16 & OSS).
👉 Total for 2024: About 1.5 months in AVC bonuses — a strong year reflecting steady post-pandemic recovery.
2023
Mid-Year Bonus 2023: 0.3 month + extra one-time payments ranging from S$200 to S$400 across grades MX13(I) to MX16.
Year-End Bonus 2023: 0.6 month + extra S$400 for MX13(I)/MX14 and S$800 for MX15/MX16 & OSS officers.
👉 Total for 2023: Around 0.9 month — a cautious payout during a sluggish growth period.
2022
Mid-Year Bonus 2022: 0.35 month + extra S$200 for MX15/MX16 and S$400 for OSS grades.
Year-End Bonus 2022: 1.1 months + extra S$700 for junior officers.
👉 Total for 2022: About 1.45 months — one of the better years in recent memory.
2021
Mid-Year Bonus 2021: 0.3 month + extra S$350 for MX15/MX16 and S$700 for OSS officers.
Year-End Bonus 2021: 1.0 month + extra S$500 for junior grades.
👉 Total for 2021: Roughly 1.3 months — a solid rebound after the pandemic dip.
2020
Mid-Year Bonus 2020: No AVC bonus was given; instead, senior officers in superscale grades took a one-time salary cut of 0.5 – 1 month.
Year-End Bonus 2020: No year-end bonus, but lower-wage civil servants received a one-off payment of S$1,200.
👉 Total for 2020: Essentially $1,200 for lower-income officers only — a tough year due to COVID-19.
2019
Mid-Year Bonus 2019: 0.45 month + lump-sum of S$200 (for most officers) or S$300 (for lower-wage grades).
Year-End Bonus 2019: 0.1 month + one-off payments from S$250 to S$1,500 (depending on grade). Senior superscale officers got S$400 flat instead of the AVC.
👉 Total for 2019: About 0.55 month plus extras — a modest payout amid slower growth.
What the Pattern Tells Us
If you line those numbers up, a clear pattern jumps out:
- Good years (GDP growth > 3 %) → Total bonus ≈ 1.4 – 1.6 months.
- Moderate years (GDP 1–2 %) → Total bonus ≈ 1.0 – 1.2 months.
- Weak years (GDP < 1 % or recession) → Total bonus ≈ 0.6 month or less.
The 2025 mid-year payout of 0.4 month fits neatly in that middle category — steady but cautious.
So… How Much Will the 2025 Year-End Bonus Be?
Let’s look at a few possibilities.
Base Case (Moderate Outlook): Around 0.8 month.
This would bring the total AVC for 2025 to roughly 1.2 months (0.4 + 0.8).
Optimistic Case (If Growth Picks Up): 1.0–1.1 months.
If Q3–Q4 data surprise on the upside and inflation stabilises, PSD might go a bit higher — especially since 2025 is SG60.
Conservative Case (If Economy Stalls): 0.6 month or lower.
If growth slows below 1 %, expect a tighter bonus like in 2023.
Right now, the base case feels most realistic. The economy is growing but not booming. So a year-end bonus of about 0.8 month plus a small one-time payment for junior grades makes sense.
Why This Still Matters for Everyone
Whenever PSD announces civil-service bonuses, people outside the public sector pay attention too.
For employers, it acts as a benchmark — a sense of what’s considered “reasonable” this year. If the civil service is getting around 1.2 months, companies that had a good year might match or exceed it to stay competitive.
For employees, it’s a confidence signal. Bigger bonuses usually mean the economy’s doing fine. Smaller ones mean the government is playing safe for what’s ahead.
Even if you’re not in the public sector, this announcement helps you read the room — are companies in a spending mood or a belt-tightening one?
What About the 13th Month and Performance Bonus?
Just to clarify: the year-end bonus is not the 13th month. The 13th month (NPAA) is a separate payment that everyone gets. The year-end bonus (AVC) sits on top of that.
Then there’s the Performance Bonus, usually handed out in April. That one’s personal — it depends on your work rating. Even if the AVC is flat, a strong performance grade can make a big difference in your total year-end package.
As many civil servants like to say, > “Mid-year and year-end bonuses depend on the economy. The performance bonus depends on you.”
Let’s Do Some Quick Math
If you earn $4,000 a month:
- Mid-year bonus (0.4 month): $1,600
- Year-end bonus (estimated 0.8 month): $3,200
👉 Total AVC for 2025: $4,800
Add the 13th month ($4,000) and a possible performance bonus (0.5–1 month), and you could be looking at $9k–$10k extra by the end of the year.
For a junior officer earning $2,500, that’s about $2,000 in AVC plus a lump-sum of $400–$600 — enough to help with holiday expenses or a small getaway.
Could SG60 Bring a Surprise Bonus?
2025 marks Singapore’s 60th year of independence — SG60.
The government has not hinted at anything special yet, but it wouldn’t be shocking to see a symbolic gesture, perhaps a small one-time “SG60 token” payment. Singapore loves round-number celebrations, after all.
So while no one should bank on it, a little extra bump would fit the occasion nicely.
For the Private Sector
If you’re running a business or part of HR, this announcement is worth watching for two reasons:
- It sets employee expectations. Staff will see the news and form a mental benchmark.
- It signals macro confidence. If the public sector is paying well, consumers feel more secure spending money — and that can feed back into business performance.
You don’t need to match the civil service exactly, but understanding the trend helps you explain your own bonus decisions more credibly to staff.
Wrapping It Up
Putting everything together:
- Mid-year bonus for 2025: 0.4 month + S$250–S$400 extra
- Expected year-end bonus: around 0.8 month + S$400–S$600 extra (for junior grades)
- Total AVC for 2025: roughly 1.2 months
That sits right in line with Singapore’s current “steady but not spectacular” economic mood. It’s unlikely to be a record-breaker, but still a nice way to close the year and thank civil servants for their work.
And hey, if the government decides to be extra generous for SG60, nobody’s complaining.
Final Thought
Bonuses are a reward, but they’re also a reflection of how the country is doing. A moderate bonus in 2025 isn’t bad news — it’s a sign that Singapore’s economy is steady, careful, and still moving forward.
So whether you’re a civil servant waiting for the announcement or someone in the private sector watching from the sidelines, one thing’s for sure: we’ll all be refreshing the news come November to see what the final number is.
Until then — fingers crossed for a good Civil Service Year-End Bonus 2025! 🎉